A group of alumnae of Kalakshetra Foundation, have come out in support of dancer and teacher Hari Padman, claiming that his conduct was good while they studied under him and that the case against him was fabricated.
Following a complaint from one of his former students, Hari Padman, a Kalakshetra alumnus and teacher at the institute since 2002, was arrested on 3 April 2023, on charges of alleged sexual harassment and criminal intimidation. Hari Padman was apprehended from Madhavaram, north Chennai, and remains in judicial custody.
Former Students Come Out In Support Of Hari Padman
Kalakshetra alumna Reshma Nair stated, “I very well know Guru Shri Hari Padman from 2005. He and his family are like my extended family. He is the only teacher who supported his student even after leaving Kalakshetra. I strongly believe that he is falsely accused. My humble request to the higher authorities, kindly give him a chance to prove his innocence.”
Another alumna and prominent Bharathanatyam dancer Gayathri Krishnaveni said, “I know Hari Padman since the day he joined Kalakshetra as a very young student and an aspiring boy. Through years of hard work and struggle, for almost 20 years, he has come to what he is today. Hari Padman is a very hard-working person and he is very sincere in his work. I can even call him Danceaholic. He has dedicated his entire life to Kalakshetra. All he knows is Kalakshetra, Bharathanatyam, Kathakali, and dance dramas. So, let us wait until he speaks. And I hope he is given proper inquiry trial and justice. I think the entire episode is just some conspiracy and he is been falsely blamed. He is been accused for doing nothing. Please be sensitive when you say any accusations against him or anyone in this matter. I know Hari Padman and I believe in Hari Padman. We are talking about a person, his carrier, his family, his wife, and his children.”
Dhanya, a Kalakshetra alumna from Dubai, said, “I have learned under him for more than 4 years. He is the guru who is most genuine and hardworking. He is 100% true to his art. This is a false allegation. I request the authorities to kindly give him a fair chance to prove his innocence. Please authorities, give him a fair chance.”
Alumna Aishwarya Pillai said, “I am studying under him for several years. Maybe from 2006. I have never had a bad experience with him. I had learned so many things from sir. He was a very dedicated person. He never had a vacation. I have never seen him having a vacation because he always wanted to work for Kalakshetra. My humble request to the authorities, is to give him a chance to prove his innocence.”
Iris, a foreign student who studied under him, said, “Hari Padman is a very dedicated, very hard working and disciplined person. These are the reasons why I cannot believe the latest allegations against him. This is unbelievable. I also hope that justice will be delivered soon because he is still behind bars. His family, his carrier, and his whole life are shattered by this. Justice should be given and I am waiting for it. I stand with sir with a full heart.”
The Case
It all began when Leela Samson, the former director of Kalakshetra Foundation made an accusatory post against a teacher (who she did not name) on her Facebook account. The post was later deleted.
Leela Samson’s Facebook posts along with articles published by the likes of The News Minute had snowballed into a controversy with full fledged protests by students forcing the institution to close down temporarily.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) which had taken cognizance of the case has so far found no evidence to support the allegations.
NCW had asked Leela Samson to present herself before the commission on 11 April 2023 but there are no reports of her having made her submissions before the commission.
The Kalakshetra Foundation’s board of directors had formed an independent inquiry committee to look into allegations of sexual harassment leveled against several teachers. In addition to suspending Padman pending the outcome of the investigation, the board had also terminated the services of three other teaching faculty members: Sanjith Lal, Sai Krishnan, and Sreenath. Haripadman is now in Puzhal jail with his bail application being rejected by the Saidapet court.
Despite the fact that none of the accused in the case are Brahmins, the left ecosystem and the Dravidian Stockists have used this issue to unleash hatred on Brahmins by spreading a lie via their social media handles that all accused in the case are Brahmins.
Later, a report by Dinamalar citing police sources noted Haripadman saying that teaching Bharatanatyam cannot be taught like physics or chemistry and that it becomes inevitable to make physical contact while teaching the art. He further added “Among professors in Kalakshetra, there is not only competition with respect to work but also for power. Some are ready to do anything to become the Director. I am of the opinion that this power play has resulted in these complaints. Many students have been manipulated into giving this complaint. There are many forces who are conspiring to shut down this college. In general, I consider that there is a large-scale attempt to smear Kalakshetra. I have been used as a tool in this attempt.”
He added that the truth will be revealed if there is a fair investigation. In this situation, a group of Kalakshetra Foundation alumni who studied under dancer Hari Padman have come out in support of him.
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